Nourishing noshes

When Sue Kramlich’s kids participated in sports, she knew they needed quality, nutritious snacks to keep them fueled, but what she found on store shelves was products filled with additives and sugar.

“There was just such a lack of really great snacks that supported working out,” Kramlich says.

Wanting to create a snack free of junk, Kramlich turned to her family’s business, Silver Creek Specialty Meats, for inspiration. She launched Simply Snackin’ with the idea that food should nourish, even if it’s just a snack.

The result is a line of 10 dietitian-endorsed, lean, protein-based snacks with varieties that include chicken, venison and grass-fed beef, many studded with dried fruit or savory add-ins such as salsa or Romano cheese. Each is gluten-free and contains fewer than 3 grams of sugar.

The Oshkosh company sells direct to some professional and semi-professional sports teams, and the snacks have garnered praise from magazines including Runner’s World and Men’s Fitness.

Available online and at Woodman’s Markets, Festival Foods and in specialty markets and co-ops, the line continues to grow in popularity, Kramlich says. “We can’t keep them stocked.”